The FASD Wheel

Mending the Broken Cord One Person at a Time

Normal Brain (left); Severe FASD Brain (right)

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) refers to a range of conditions resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure. As dramatically illustrated in the slide to the right, drinking during pregnancy can permanently injure and damage the infant brain, causing the normally developing "brain circuits" (symbolically shown as the six arrows in the left brain) to become pruned, garbled, impaired or missing for those with FASD (shown symbolically by the skewed arrows in the brain on the right).

The result of prenatal alcohol exposure isbrain damage, often without any other pronounced physical abnormality that lets us know a person with FASD has a disability. Essentially, the person looks normal, but the permanent brain injury results in unexpected, inconsistent, and unpredictable behaviors.

This is what makes FASD hard to understand, hard to treat, and hard to deal with. We too frequentlyassume someone with FASD is not trying hard enough or does notwantto cooperate. In fact, it is thebrain damagethat is creating problems.

Just as we accommodate people who transport in a wheelchair, we have to make some accommodations for those with FASD (see www.fascets.org for great information about tryingdifferently, rather than harder).

This is where theFASD Wheel™comes in. It helps usrememberabout the disability and how to choose appropriate interventions, rather than re-telling, yelling, becoming frustrated and angry, and giving up.

The FASD Wheel™The FASD Wheel™
is a new way to conceptualize the brain damage inherent in individuals
with an FASD diagnosis. It is a visual reminder, or cue, of the FASD
person's strengths and weaknesses, and it is easily understood and
applied to help caregivers and professionals try differently, rather then harder.

A visual cue of which brain domain strengths and weaknesses

Visually represents an FASD person's "Ride Through Life"

Supports data-driven decisions for responding to an "FASD situation"

Helps avoid misattributions and improves the quality of interventions

Brain
functions that produce outward, observable behaviors can be grouped
into ten measurable categories or domains that are applied to the FASD
Wheel™ to help caregivers, teachers, social workers, corrections/parole
officers, group home workers, case managers and others make well-thought
and data-driven decisions and interventions for those with FASD with
whom they work:

For an FASD Wheel™ that you can use for individual, non-commercial uses (e.g., with a
client) sign up for the free eNewsletter below to receive the FREE FASD Wheel™ MINI MANUAL, newly updates for 2011.

»»However, please remember that this is copyrighted material--you
may use this blank template with a client but please do not alter or
adapt the FASD Wheel™ in any way without written permission from the
author. Currently, only the Provincial Outreach Program for Fetal
Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (Prince George, British Columbia, Canada) has
been granted permission for adaptation.

FASD Wheel in the News11 February 2011: Pamela Cowan of The Regina Leader-Post wrote an article covering the FASD Wheel™ following the "FASD: Communities of Hope" conference at which I spoke as a keynote speaker. The conference was sponsored by the FASD Support Network of Saskatchewan, a strong voice and leader in the field of FASD.

Two chapters of my proposed book, Mending the Broken Cord, are available for download with Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click on the icons to load each chapter.

These are intended for a professional and motivated lay audience (e.g., doctors, social workers, teachers, and motivated foster or adoptive parents), though anyone would have a better understanding of FASD from reading them.

A Licensed Psychologist since 1997 and working with high-risk children and families since 1993, Michael Harris is currently director of mental and chemical health services at the Indian Health Board of Minneapolis (IHB), a non-profit community healthcare center, serving the urban American Indian community and people of all races in the Twin Cities. Over the years, Harris has developed expertise in not only Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), but also foster care and adoption, trauma and abuse, childhood disruptive behaviors, and childhood attachment problems. He is a Certified EMDR Therapist and working currently training in Somatic Experiencing®.

Harris has treated families affected by FASD since 1995, co-developed the FASD Evaluation Clinic at IHB in 1998, and served on three task forces/committees studying FASD. He trains professionals and laypersons in the United States and in Canada and also provides consultation to emerging and established professionals regarding treatment of clients with FASD in the Twin Cities.

Training Opportunities on The FASD WheelMichael
is available for public speaking, workshops, and consultation for small
or larger groups, including presentations for professionals and
laypersons.You may contact him at michael__at__FASDElephant__dot__com
or through The FASD Wheel Facebook page (as listed to the left) for rates, availability and general inquiries.

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